RUM’n’ NUTS’n’ BARRA

While waiting for the tour to start at the Bundaberg Rum factory I noticed two guys in their boots, denim jeans, black cowboy hats and navy blue wife beaters (I do not really like this colloquialism, although it is a pretty funny one! A wife beater is the common name for a vest/ singlet top), I actually thought they may have been leading the tour as they were the epitomy of a Bundy drinker and fit the stereotype perfectly. As we checked out the rum making process they had to slip in comments here and there to complete the picture. It was an interesting tour and we enjoyed a tasting at the end of it. A guy at the caravan park we were staying at told us of the macadamia nut farm across the road that had completed its harvest and were happy for people to come and pick the nuts that were on the ground. We didn’t need to be told twice and we ended up picking up about 5 kilos of this sweet nut with the bulletproof shell. They are really nice roasted up with oil,garlic and rosemary. Yum! On the 6th August,Tal started his 9th birthday off in style with a bacon and egg roll for brekky followed by a game of footy with the local footy team and a steam train ride in the Botanic Gardens on the way home. From Bundaberg to the Town of 1770 which had some nice beaches, Captian Cook must have thought so too way back then. The Information centre at Miriam Vale told us about a free bush camp at Lake Awoonga which was delightful. The countryside is a lovely yellowy colour around these parts, tall grasses containing a spectrum of orange, yellow and brown hues, it is not too dry, still a lot of green about, although we can feel the sun getting hotter as we venture further northwards. We had a lovely time at Lake Awoonga, a haven of peace and quiet, only a few other people staying here, loads of birds and wildlife. Have been feeling pretty cramped staying at caravan parks for the last month or so and it is just so different when you can choose your own space in the camp area. It was also nice as there was not much to “do”, as in the touristy sense….:we must see this while we are here”…..etc…. It was nice to just “be”, out in nature, in comfort. It is nice to think that our bus relies on solar power while we are camping, which means we have to make sure we park somewhere not too shady. It is a funny thought that we use sunshine to make our fridge cold!! Also noticed a funny sight at the campground at the Lake, someone had screwed an electrical power point onto a tree next to a picnic area, and just for a second it had me thinking…….hang on….!! The barramundi is a fish famous for its fight and size, we are just heading into barra country now and had a bit of a try for them at Lake Awoonga. I caught three on my first night!! ……………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………….. Unfortunately I have to add that they were only about two inches long…..I had set a yabby trap and they got caught in that……Oh well…….. The barra hunt begins!! Had pancakes for breakfast this morning in Rockhampton and I bought a couple of bananas yesterday for this purpose. I knew they were going to be expensive, but the $4.27 really shocked me. We told the kids that we were going to start paying their pocket money to them in bananas, Rennie would get one banana a week and Tal one and a half!!